


Wrapping His Wounds with Words

by maeshii



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Sort Of, connor deserves the world, connor loves nature, he can be a prick but kevin loves him anyway, i dont even know what i was thinking while writing this, its gay, its only minor depictions tho, kevin does not, kevin thinks about connor a lot, this is probably so bad, zelder is only in this for like one scene tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 11:16:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19294633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maeshii/pseuds/maeshii
Summary: “Connor..?” He said quietly.“Shut up,” Connor mumbled, and if Kevin didn’t know his voice he wouldn’t have been able to tell that Connor said anything at all. He barely reacted physically, and his body remained still as he spoke.“Connor, what the hell happened?” Kevin asked, his voice coated with concern. When Connor didn’t respond, Kevin gently put a hand on his cheek, trying to get him to look up at him.He felt something wet on his cheek, and his first thought was that Connor was crying. Suddenly, the shorter boy gasped, smacking Kevin’s hand away. Kevin blinked a couple of times, confused as to what caused that when he caught sight of his hand.He wasn’t crying. He was bleeding.***Or, Connor tries to be a hero and Kevin overthinks things.





	Wrapping His Wounds with Words

**Author's Note:**

> this is super pointless honestly ?? i got bored and started writing and ended up with this so oop
> 
> i might make a part two to this? if you want one then let me know by leaving a comment or kudos!
> 
> the violence isnt too graphic, but i put the warning on just in case. this mainly focuses on kevin and connors development anyway, so the violence itself isnt all that necessary. please let me know if you like this!!

Something that was known for a fact among the elders of District Nine is that Connor McKinley would, more often than not, be willing to do anything for some form of a greater good.

  
Kevin almost envied that part of him. It wasn’t even a matter of whether he wants to or not- some people are just born more selfless than others, and as far as Kevin was concerned, Connor was probably the most selfless person he knew. Sure, a lot of the other elders were kind, but Connor was the only one who Kevin could describe as selfless.

  
Perhaps not the kindest elder, though. There was that time when Kevin sprained his ankle…

  
_“Leave it to Mr. Kevin Price to get himself into this mess,” Connor said sarcastically, placing Kevin’s foot back down on the pillow to keep it elevated._

_Kevin rolled his eyes, sitting up a little. “You’re not even going to try to be sympathetic?”_

  
_Connor hummed a bit, walking behind the couch and out of Kevin’s line of vision. “Nope.”_

  
_Kevin tried to glare at him, his failure earning a smirk from Connor. “If I were Elder Thomas, you wouldn’t be acting like this.”_

  
_Connor shook his head. “No. If you were Elder Thomas, you wouldn’t have gotten into this mess in the first place,” he countered._

  
_Kevin scowled, crossing his arms. “This was an accident. It could’ve happened to anyone.”_

  
_Connor walked back over, an ice pack in hand, grinning. “No, I thought you sprained your ankle on purpose?” Connor replied sarcastically. “Lay back down.”_

  
_Kevin begrudgingly complied, sucking a sharp breath through his teeth when Connor lifted up his foot to put the ice pack under it. “That’s too cold,” he whined. Connor rolled his eyes. “It has to stay on for fifteen minutes, so get used to it.”_

  
_Kevin frowned at Connor. “You’re evil.”_

  
_“Walk yourself home next time.”_

  
_Kevin visibly gave up on trying to argue, earning a satisfied smirk from Connor. “It’s not a bad sprain. Give it a few days and you’ll be able to walk on your own again. I guess that puts me in charge of being your personal nurse,” Connor joked._

  
_“You’re not the only one who knows first aid,” Kevin said._

  
_“Oh, I’m aware. But do you see anyone else willing to do this for you?”_

  
_Kevin frowned. “There’s Arnold.”_

  
_Connor just raised an eyebrow in response._

  
_Kevin sighed. “Okay, you’re right. But still.”_

  
_Connor smiled a bit. “If you’re implying that you’re going to be doing the same for me if I get injured, then think twice,” he said._

  
_Kevin tilted his head to the side a bit. “What?”_

  
_“I’m not prone to injury. Forget about any hopes you have of playing doctor,” he said with a wink._

  
_Kevin rolled his eyes, fake gagging. “Shut the fuck up.”_

  
_Connor gasped in mock offense. “Did you just swear at me?”_

_“So what?”_

  
_“Profanities directed at the nurse will cost you five dollars.”_

  
_“Oh, so you’re the nurse? Does that make us partners?” Kevin asked teasingly. It didn’t have the same effect on Connor as it had on him._

  
_“Maybe so. We’ll see how the future plays out.”_

  
_“Be quiet.”_

  
That was something that Kevin didn’t understand about Connor. How could a man so selfless be so...he didn’t want to say rude, but there isn’t a better word to describe him. Connor was special. Different from other people Kevin met. He had that special spring in his step in almost every situation. He stayed optimistic, and never let anything bother him the way it bothered other people. He never complained about the situation he was put in, or about how he was neck deep in work to get himself out of it. And Kevin had to admit that he admired him for that.

  
It was Connor’s optimism that had led Kevin to believe that Connor was just invulnerable to being, well...vulnerable. Connor showing weakness was never something Kevin really thought about, nor did he ever want to think about. And for some reason, he thought this streak would keep up.

  
Connor withheld his selflessness and used it when he needed to the most.

  
When that damned General stormed the village (Kevin never trusted that he changed one bit), Connor was the only one willing to give himself up to save the young Ugandan girl who he was going to take captive instead.

  
Kevin had been in that General’s camp before. He was only there for about an hour, but he knew how bad it could get. Connor had been gone for a day, and though he would never admit it, he was worried. Extremely worried. He couldn’t bring himself to be “that hero” that he wanted to be- these situations hit harder when you’re actually thrown into them. Anyone would’ve been scared to be “that hero” in this situation. Kevin was the only one who knew where the camp was. After an attempt at prying, the elders gave up trying to get Kevin to tell them where it was. Besides, what could a bunch of skinny white boys do against a Ugandan warlord? All that was left to do was wait for Connor to come back.

  
And so that time came.

  
Kevin was alone in the hut. All the other elders were out, probably hopelessly searching for the camp. Kevin tried not to care. Connor was stupid enough to throw himself into this. There was nothing stopping him from avoiding it, so he was the one who had to get himself out.

  
But still, not worrying was easier said than done.

  
A few knocks at the door immediately alarmed Kevin. They were slow but forceful as if the person knocking was desperate to get the attention of anyone who may be inside. Kevin stared at the door for several moments, waiting for another knock, but it never came. He slowly began to approach the door, when suddenly, another desperate, forceful knock almost broke the door in. Kevin swallowed down his fear and put his hand on the knob, turning it and opening the door.

  
He was left face to face with Connor- or rather, Kevin was the only one looking at Connor. The other man had his head hung low, staring at the ground. He was leaning heavily against the doorframe, his shoulders heaving up and down with each breath. His normally pure white uniform had red blotches of them, the material dyed red in some areas with blood. His normally neat and clean red hair was disheveled and messy, a look that Kevin would’ve laughed at if he wasn’t horrified with everything else.

  
“Connor..?” He said quietly.

  
“Shut up,” Connor mumbled, and if Kevin didn’t know his voice he wouldn’t have been able to tell that Connor said anything at all. He barely reacted physically, and his body remained still as he spoke.

  
“Connor, what the hell happened?” Kevin asked, his voice coated with concern. When Connor didn’t respond, Kevin gently put a hand on his cheek, trying to get him to look up at him.

  
He felt something wet on his cheek, and his first thought was that Connor was crying. Suddenly, the shorter boy gasped, smacking Kevin’s hand away. Kevin blinked a couple of times, confused as to what caused that when he caught sight of his hand.

  
He wasn’t crying. He was bleeding.

  
Kevin quickly grabbed Connor’s shoulders, being careful so that he wouldn’t end up hurting him more. “We’re gonna get you cleaned up,” Kevin said, slowly leading Connor inside and closing the door behind him. Connor didn’t react, and that truly made Kevin realize that he was, for the first time, seeing Connor act vulnerable. He didn’t know what he was expecting when Connor got back, but for some reason, this wasn’t what he imagined. He expected Connor to be fine, to tease Kevin for getting so worked up. For once, he wished Connor had teased him.

  
Kevin led Connor into the bathroom, locking the door behind him and carefully setting Connor down on the closed toilet lid. He knelt down in front of him, and only now did he get a good look at Connor’s face.

  
Dark, heavy bags mixed with bad bruises were littered under his half-closed eyes. There was a large gash on his cheek that left blood trickling down his face, and that didn’t seem to hurt him at all (or if it did, it certainly wasn’t showing). Kevin frowned, his eyebrows knit in concern. He carefully put his hand on Connor’s head, tangling his fingers in his messy hair. He ran his hand back a little, tilting Connor’s head upwards just a bit. Connor slowly moved to look up at Kevin, his eyes still barely open. Kevin shook his head, gently pulling his hand away.

  
“Just relax, Connor. You’re okay now,” he said quietly, getting up to grab a cloth and running it under warm water. Connor stayed still, and Kevin couldn’t help but feel like he was intruding on something. He didn’t know why- Connor clearly needed medical attention, and he was the one who would provide it. But still, he couldn’t help but feel like he was supposed to be somewhere else.

  
He kneeled back in front of Connor and put a hand carefully under his chin, lifting his head up. From there, he pressed the cloth to his bloodied cheek, watching the corners of Connor’s eyes crinkle in discomfort. After a couple of seconds, he seemed to relax a little more, his eyes staying shut. Kevin gently drew his hand from Connor’s cheek, going to rinse off the cloth. Connor’s head lolled forward, Kevin quickly placing the cloth on the counter before catching Connor in his chest. “I’ve got you,” he whispered, holding him close for a couple of seconds. “Just let me clean you up and then I’ll get you to bed, okay?”

  
Connor let out a low hum in response, Kevin accepting that as an affirmative. He put Connor back against the wall, rinsing off the cloth. Red-tinged water ran down the drain as it absorbed the cleaner water, and Kevin went back to tending to Connor’s wounds. Both of them were silent the entire time, Connor just barely able to keep his eyes open, Kevin only ever speaking to whisper comforting things to Connor every now and then to reassure him or keep him awake.

  
Once he cleaned and bandaged the wound on his face, Kevin gently took hold of the top button on Connor’s shirt. “I have to take this off to finish up,” he said quietly. “Is that okay with you?”

  
Kevin knew that he would have to do it regardless of whether Connor wanted it or not. But thankfully, he didn’t receive any form of protest. He didn’t exactly get a clear answer, more of just an exhausted look from the poor boy. But there were no complaints as Kevin began to unbutton his shirt, so Kevin continued to do that.

  
The wounds on his torso weren’t as bad as the big one on his cheek. But still, Kevin felt guilt build up in his stomach from the look of discomfort on Connor’s face as he cleaned each individual wound. He didn’t know if Connor was just too tired to complain, or if this was just how he was when he got hurt. Kevin had never seen Connor hurt before, so he wouldn’t really know…

  
After an hour or so, Kevin finished the injuries on Connor’s torso. He would check for more wounds, but he could tell that Connor clearly just wanted to sleep, and he needed rest just as much as he needed this. Kevin put his hand on Connor’s head and tilted it back, the same way he had done before. Connor kept his eyes closed, earning a small frown. “Hey, look at me,” he whispered. “Can you open your eyes for me?”

  
Connor complied, just barely managing to open his eyes, white slivers a stark contrast against the dark bags and bruises. Kevin smiled a little. “There you are...let’s get you to bed now,” he said softly, slowly helping Connor up. Connor leaned his head against Kevin’s shoulder, and Kevin ultimately decided just to pick up the smaller boy, something neither of them was particularly unhappy about.

  
Kevin slowly carried him to his room, making a note of the shirt he had left in the bathroom. Once in the room, he shut the door, carefully laying Connor down as gently as he could. Connor’s eyes closed as soon as his head hit the pillow, and he was asleep before Kevin could even get the blanket on him.

  
Kevin smiled, making sure Connor was fast asleep before walking out and picking up the shirt from the bathroom.

  
“Elder Price?”

  
Kevin’s head whipped around, feeling unnecessarily tense at the sudden intruder, but relaxed when he found that it was only Elder Zelder.

  
“What do you need, Elder?” Kevin asked. Elder Zelder didn’t respond, only staring at Kevin. Kevin was confused before he realized just how strange this might have looked from an outside perspective- he had a bloody shirt in his hands, his right hand was tinged red, and even his own shirt had a small blotch on it from when Connor leaned on him in the bathroom. Once he realized this, he looked up at the other elder in horror.

  
“This- Elder, this isn’t…”

  
“Why are you all bloody?! What happened?! Whose shirt is that??”

  
Kevin quickly shook his head, trying to dismiss all fears the other Elder had. “Connor came back from the General,” he admitted, and just that statement alone seemed to have the Elder less terrified and more surprised. “He was hurt and exhausted. I cleaned him up before putting him to bed,” Kevin continued.

  
Elder Zelder nodded a little. “Is he going to be okay?” He asked quietly.

  
Kevin nodded. “He should be. I’ll ask him questions once he’s well rested. He can’t do anything in this state- Oh, and...please don’t tell anyone that he’s back yet. Because then they’ll want to see him, and I just don’t want to overwhelm him now.”

  
Another nod from the shorter elder. “I’ve got it...I won’t tell a soul,” he said, raising his hand and crossing his heart. Kevin smiled a little at that. “Alright. Thank you, Elder.”  
And with that, Kevin was alone once more.

  
He cleaned up the mess that was made, trying his best to get rid of any trace of blood around the hut. He managed to scrub the stains out of Connor’s shirt, though it still left a faint pink tint behind, which he ultimately decided to just leave alone. He threw out the cloth since he doubted he’d be able to get rid of the stains on that. Aside from that, there really wasn’t much else more to do. He washed his hands, watching as it went from dull red to its normal tan color. And finally, there was his own shirt. The blotch just above his collarbone would definitely be a red flag to anyone who saw it; it looked like he just got stabbed. He grimaced a little bit, going to his room and taking it off. There wasn’t a point in wearing it right now, it would only cause more panic if another Elder ended up walking in.

  
For a while, Kevin sat on his bed, shirtless and completely silent. This whole thing with Connor, seeing him so hurt like that was such a foreign concept to him. He almost had to wonder if the snarky and playful Connor he knew was just how Connor wanted people to see him, rather than how he actually was. Questions swarmed around Kevin’s head. How often did Connor need someone, but not have them be there for him? All because he just wanted to seem like some smartass who wasn’t affected by these kinds of things? What kinds of things would even bother someone like Connor?

  
Kevin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Now wasn’t the time to think about things like that, he supposed. Connor needed him now. He stood up and slowly walked back to the other man’s room, finding relief in the fact that he was still fast asleep in bed. He slowly closed the door behind him, taking a couple of steps inside, and soon found himself beside Connor’s bed. He looked strangely peaceful like this.

  
If he were honest, Kevin can’t even recall a time when he had seen Connor sleep before. Not that he was some stalker, but...every time he’s woken up in the middle of the night since the excommunication, he’s seen Connor somewhere around the hut that wasn’t his room…

  
_“Elder McKinley?”_

  
_The voice wasn’t anywhere above a whisper. Kevin had walked into the kitchen to find Connor standing there, a cup of something in his hand, gazing out the window. He seemed as if he were in a trance of sorts. He looked over at Kevin, a small smile forming on his face. “Hello, Elder Price. What are you doing up this late?”_

  
_Kevin scoffed. “I could ask the same thing.”_

  
_“I asked first.”_

  
_Kevin rolled his eyes, walking over to Connor. “I couldn’t sleep. Most days, my room just gets too hot. Is that coffee…?” He asked, pointing to the beverage in Connor’s hand._   
_Connor looked down at the drink. “It is. I figured I could use caffeine to stay up.”_

  
_“That’s not like you. You hate coffee.”_

_Connor shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”_

  
_Kevin rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You didn’t answer me. What are you doing up this late?”_

  
_“I was doing work. Decided to just-”_

  
_“-take a break?” Kevin finished for him. The look on Connor’s face wasn’t one he was expecting- rather than being surprised, he looked as if Kevin had somehow inconvenienced him by doing that. But at the same time, he almost looked completely unbothered. “That’s what you say every time,” Kevin continued. “It’s getting old, Elder. Every time I wake up during the night, you’re up as well. And it’s always because you’re just taking a break from work. Do you even sleep?”_

  
_Connor laughed a little at the question. “Of course I sleep. I just work most nights, and getting out of my room for a bit lets my brain wind down before I sleep.”_

  
_“And you do that by drinking coffee?”_

  
_Connor didn’t respond to that. Kevin stared into his eyes, the other doing the same to him. Kevin searched Connor’s blue eyes for any sort of lie or negative feelings hidden underneath, but Connor seemed to be telling the honest truth. So, he let it go._

  
_“Fine, then. What do you do when you’re up this late?”_

  
_Connor looked back out the window. “I like to look up at the sky. Especially the moon.”_

  
_Kevin looked out the window as well. “What’s so special about a big hunk of rock?”_

  
_Connor laughed a bit. “The moon is easier to look at than the sun. When you look at the moon, do you ever wonder how many other people are looking at it too?”_

  
_Kevin shook his head. “No, but I am wondering if you’re delusional.”_

  
_“I’m not delusional. It’s just something I think about a lot.”_

  
_Kevin looked up at the moon. There really wasn’t anything fascinating about it. It was just a white circle in the sky. “No, I’m pretty sure you are.”_

  
_Connor rolled his eyes. “So there hasn’t been one time you’ve looked up at the moon and asked yourself questions about it?”_

  
_“Nope.”_

  
_“Maybe you’re the delusional one.”_

  
_“I am not!”_

  
_Connor laughed a little. “That seems to tick you off more than I thought,” he teased._

  
_Kevin scowled. “What, and it doesn’t piss you off?”_

  
_“Language,” Connor reminded. “And no, it doesn’t. I don’t let these things bother me as they bother you.”_

  
_Kevin muttered something under his breath, looking off to the side. “What was that?” Connor asked, earning an annoyed groan from Kevin._

  
_“I said, you don’t let anything bother you. It’s like you’re a robot whose only function is to be happy and cocky all the time. You just, just turn off your emotions! As soon as you feel something you don’t want to feel, it’s just gone.”_

  
_Connor blinked. “So, that’s what you think of me, huh?”_

  
_It took Kevin a couple of seconds to process what he said. “Wait- No, I didn’t mean for that to come off as rude. I’m sorry.”_

  
_But when Kevin looked over at Connor, he wasn’t frowning. He was smiling._

  
_“Don’t worry, Elder. I don’t mind.” Kevin stared at Connor in complete shock, as the other just stood and smiled. “How...I just called you a **robot**. How does that not…?”_   
_“I’m used to it by now, Elder,” Connor said as if he’s had this exact conversation a million times. “You don’t have to be so shocked.”_

  
_“So...you’re just going to let me call you whatever I want?”_

  
_“I don’t see why not.”_

  
_A look of concern flashed across Kevin’s face for a split second, but Connor didn’t seem to catch it. “You really are delusional,” said Kevin, starting to walk away._

  
_“Not delusional,” Connor said. “Just used to it.”_

  
_And that was the last thing he said to him that night._

  
Staring at Connor now, it really seemed to strike Kevin that maybe it was a common occurrence that the other elder didn’t get much sleep every day. Maybe he would ask him about it later...but whether that was true or not, he figured it was good that he was able to get the sleep he needed now. Kevin walked across the room, wandering over to Connor’s desk.

  
There was a small, neat stack of papers, as well as some pens and a desk lamp. He took a look at one of the papers and found a printed letter addressed to Connor. It seemed to be about some sort of sponsorship, which Kevin understood. The church cut off their funding for the mission, meaning if they wanted to leave, they were on their own.

  
He noticed another paper next to the stack and picked that one up to read it. This one was from Connor, the blue ink a clear hint. It wasn’t finished, but it seemed very professional, and Kevin wondered if this is what Connor has been stressing out over ever since the excommunication. Connor’s handwriting was neat, and despite being written in pen, there was not one spelling or grammatical error, and not one hint that he had messed up at all. Kevin hummed a bit, putting it back down.

  
There wasn’t much in Connor’s room. He shared the room with Elder Thomas, and both of them seemed to keep their rooms relatively neat and empty. It almost seemed bland, but Kevin couldn’t complain. His room was pretty boring as well. But somehow, he was expecting something a little more different from Connor.

  
Kevin glanced back at Connor, making sure once again that he was still asleep, before walking back out of his room. He figured he should probably get something else done before Connor wakes up. The only problem is, he isn’t exactly sure what to do.

  
After a few minutes of walking aimlessly around the hut, Kevin eventually decided that doing the dishes would probably be fine. They were piling up, anyway, and whichever elder had dish duty yesterday just decided not to do it (either that or it was Connor’s turn- in which case, this worked out better than Kevin thought).

  
Kevin’s mind wandered off as he cleaned up, thinking back to Connor. He really wanted the other to be okay- and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how little he actually knew about the other. He really didn’t know much about Connor at all. He didn’t know how he would act once he woke up- if he would continue to try and act like everything was fine, or if he would just have given up at that point. That worried Kevin, for a couple of reasons. The main one being, of course, that he had never seen Connor act that way before, and the thought scared him. Maybe a little too much, in fact, because while he was lost in thought, Kevin dropped the plate he was washing, cringing as it fell to the floor with a loud crash, completely smashing.

  
Fuck, it was in pieces. But that wasn’t his biggest concern. Kevin bolted from the kitchen to Connor’s room, his eyes widening when the smaller boy began to stir a little.  
He quickly closed the door and walked over to Connor’s side, kneeling beside the bed. Kevin put his hand on Connor’s forehead and brushed his hair out of his eyes, gazing at him softly and sympathetically as he slowly blinked his eyes open. He still looked exhausted, and Kevin couldn’t blame him. If his thoughts were right, he probably hasn’t gotten a night of good sleep in days.

  
“Hey,” Kevin said softly as Connor slowly moved to look at him. “Sorry for waking you.” Connor didn’t respond, but Kevin wasn’t all that surprised. He gently rubbed his thumb against Connor’s eyebrow, causing the other to relax a little. “Go back to sleep, everything is okay. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  
Connor gave Kevin a halfhearted but stubborn look, making the other chuckle a bit. “Even when you’re exhausted, you won’t listen to me, huh? In that case…” Kevin lowered his hand and leaned in closer to Connor, kissing him gently on his forehead. “How does that make you feel?”

  
Connor gave Kevin another look, this one looking much less amused. Kevin laughed a little more. “Alright, I’m done messing with you. But really, try to get some more sleep, please? You really need it…”

  
Connor’s eyes were already beginning to slip shut again, much to Kevin’s relief. “That’s it…” He murmured softly, stroking his messy hair. After a couple of minutes, Connor was asleep once more, allowing Kevin to slip back out. He sighed, walking back to the kitchen to pick up the shattered plate, careful as to not cut himself on the shards. He didn’t know whether that interaction with Connor was good or bad. To him, it really didn’t mean much of anything. He couldn’t tell what it was, and it only made him more confused. The only thing he knew was that Connor definitely needed rest right now and that he would probably refuse it once he had the energy to keep his eyes open.  
The plate was cleaned up, and Kevin suddenly lost the desire to clean the rest of the dishes. He’d leave that to whichever elder had the job to do so today. He soon found himself back in Connor’s room, sitting in the chair from the desk pulled up by the bedside.

  
He watched Connor sleep for what felt like hours. Days. But he didn’t get tired of it. He found it hard to get bored of watching Connor sleep- it was oddly fascinating, and Kevin didn’t quite know what it was. He deserved it, after all…

  
_“Hurry up,” Kevin complained, sitting at the top of the bluff by the river. He watched Connor fill up the bucket with water, and he was certainly taking his precious time. The smirk on his face made it clear that he was doing so just to annoy Kevin further._

  
_“Do you have somewhere else to be?” Connor asked, causing Kevin to roll his eyes._

  
_“Just because I don’t doesn’t mean you need to drag this on for three hours just to piss me off.”_

  
_Connor hummed a bit. “But you weren’t obligated to come with me. If this is bothering you so much, why did you come in the first place?”_

  
_“Shut up,” Kevin mumbled, even though Connor was asking a genuine question. “I came because nobody else would. You shouldn’t be down by the river on your own.”_   
_“I’m not a child, Kevin,” Connor said. “But I appreciate the thought.”_

  
_Kevin frowned, sliding down the bluff to meet with Connor. “What’s taking you so long, anyway?”_

  
_Connor smiled a bit. “I just like watching the river. Don’t you?”_

  
_Kevin looked down at it. “Nope.”_

  
_Connor rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun. Mr. I-can’t-appreciate-nature.”_

  
_“Hey! I appreciate nature!”_

  
_“In the form of the fake, plastic world of Disneyland?” Connor asked. “I doubt that.”_

  
_“First of all, the one in Orlando is Disney World,” Kevin corrected. “And second, that’s not what I’m talking about.”_

  
_“Sea World promotes animal cruelty,” Connor said, looking back at the water._

  
_“I know that!” Kevin said angrily, earning a giggle from Connor. Kevin’s anger washed away, and he was left just admiring Connor. The man looked so focused and intrigued by the rivers neverending flow, his eyes sparkling just from watching it. Kevin could feel himself inch closer and closer, but Connor kept his eyes fixed on the river. Eventually, Kevin looked down at it as well, trying to figure out what it was that had Connor so interested._

  
_“Hey there,” Connor said, making Kevin jump. They were just inches apart, and Connor’s smile looked so much better up close._

  
_“Um…” Kevin cleared his throat. “Hi.”_

  
_“What’s got you so nervous?” Connor asked. “It’s just me.”_

  
_“Yeah. ‘Just you’,” Kevin mocked, rolling his eyes._

  
_Connor raised an eyebrow, his head quirked to the side. “What does that mean?”_

  
_“You act like this is nothing,” Kevin said annoyedly. “Are you just...acting that way to taunt me?”_

  
_“Taunt you?” Connor questioned, seeming genuinely confused. “Elder, I don’t know what you-”_

  
_“You know what I mean,” Kevin said exasperatedly. “Stop acting like you don’t.”_

  
_Connor blinked. “Kevin, if this is about what I think it is...” Connor said softly, dropping the formalities. Kevin nodded._

  
_“It is.”_

  
_Connor looked at Kevin for a couple of moments, the other man just looking at the water. Connor’s gaze wandered back there as well, the two standing in silence for several moments, the sound of the rushing water continuing to be the only audible sound for that time. After a while, Connor’s hand snuck to Kevin’s, gently holding it. Kevin could feel a slight blush spreading across his cheeks, but he didn’t look up at Connor._

  
_“You talk about it like it’s a bad thing,” Connor said quietly. Kevin looked up at him, confused brown eyes meeting soft blue ones._

  
_“Are you telling me it isn’t?”_

  
_Connor shrugged a bit, turning to fully face Kevin. “Why should it be?”_

  
_Kevin felt flustered at just how close they were. But judging by the light blush on Connor’s face, he could tell that he wasn’t the only one._

  
_“Elder, I-”_

  
_“Connor,” he corrected. “No use in using formalities. Just call me Connor.”_

  
_“Connor,” Kevin restarted, “I honestly don’t know what to say.”_

  
_“Then don’t say anything,” Connor said with a small smile. “Just let it happen.”_

  
_Next thing he knew, Connor’s lips were pressed to his. Kevin didn’t know how- or why- this was happening, but Connor didn’t seem all that bothered. At all. Kevin leaned into the kiss, but it didn’t last long._

  
_Both of them pulled away at the sudden screams erupting from the village. The pair looked at each other, both with immense concern, before dropping whatever was happening before and rushing to the village as fast as they could._

  
_The villagers were running around in all sorts of directions, desperately trying to seek the safety of their homes. Kevin and Connor looked around for what was happening before their eyes laid on none other than the General himself- along with his guards. The General grabbed a Ugandan teen by the wrists and watched as she desperately tried to escape from him. Kevin grabbed Connor’s shoulder, the sight making him feel sick._

  
_“Connor,” he whispered. “We have to go.”_

  
_Connor kept staring at the sight ahead of him. Kevin was growing increasingly worried, when Connor suddenly broke away from his grip, charging at the General._   
_Kevin could only watch as Connor said something- he couldn’t make it out, but it seemed as though he were trying to bargain with the warlord. Kevin couldn’t say or do anything. His panicked eyes were fixated on the scene playing out in front of him, and he felt his stomach drop when the General threw the girl to the ground and grabbed Connor the same way he took her._

  
_Now it was Kevin’s turn to charge at him._

  
_Before he could even make it there, one of the guards pointed his gun at Kevin, making him stop in his tracks and put his hands up in surrender. He gave a pleading look at Connor, who wasn’t even struggling to escape from the grip of the General._

  
_Connor only mouthed two words to him; ‘Get out.’_

  
_Kevin took a step back, swallowing. The girl had run off, presumably back to her own hut, leaving Kevin alone to try to help Connor. He looked back to Connor, giving him a look that begged him to do something, but Connor refused to meet his eyes, instead just staring down. The guard began shouting in Kevin’s face, causing Kevin to jump back, and with the gun still pointed at him, he decided to make a run for it._

  
_He didn’t even know what happened when he got back to the hut. He was completely out of breath and panicked. He could hear the other elders asking him questions, but he couldn’t answer any of them._

  
_Why did Connor do this?_

  
“You look sad.”

  
A voice startled Kevin out of his thoughts. In front of him, Connor was awake once more and was now looking up at Kevin. Kevin blinked a couple of times.  
“Go back to sleep, Con.”

  
Connor tried sitting up, wincing a little. Kevin sighed and helped him sit up, leaning him against the headboard.

  
“I can’t sleep. I’m on that middle ground where I’m tired, but not tired enough to sleep.”

  
Kevin nodded a bit but paused. “Are you sure that’s it.”

  
Connor hesitated for a moment. “I guess.”

  
Kevin sighed again. “Please don’t lie to me.”

  
“I’m not,” Connor responded. “If you’re implying that I’m having nightmares from what happened, I’m not.”

  
Kevin nodded a bit. “What...What even happened while you were there?”

  
Connor took a deep breath, wincing a little. “It wasn’t that bad,” he said quietly. “At least, not as bad as I anticipated. All they did was knock me around for a bit before leaving me alone.”

Kevin bit his tongue. “You’re acting like that’s not terrible.”

  
“It’s really not,” Connor said with a bit of force. “I got off easy. I can’t even imagine what he would’ve done to that girl.”

  
“So you think that makes it okay for you to just risk your life like that?!”

  
Connor flinched a little when Kevin raised his voice, and Kevin immediately softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell like that, I just...I don’t get it.”

  
Connor shrugged a bit. “I guess most of it was just my inability to think straight under pressure,” he admitted. “I did the first thing that came to mind. If I had more time to think, I would’ve done something different.”

  
Kevin sighed a bit. “I just wish you had listened to me when I told you we had to get out of there.”

  
“I hope you don’t think I regret doing what I did,” Connor replied. “Because I don’t.”

  
Kevin stared down, avoiding eye contact with Connor. “I don’t know. I just don’t get it.”

  
Connor kept his eyes on Kevin, clenching and unclenching his fists. “Do you really think that matters?” Kevin looked up at him, slightly confused.

  
“I don’t get what you mean, Con.”

  
“It doesn’t matter whether you get it or not. What matters is that it’s done. If I had to endure just a small beat up to save someone from something that would’ve been much worse, then obviously I’ll do it.” Kevin just stayed silent, nodding a little. Connor sighed. “Look, let’s just drop this. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Kevin nodded again, looking Connor in the eye with a bit more confidence.

  
“How are you feeling?” He asked, changing the subject.

  
Connor deflated a little, bringing the blanket up higher. “Like I got hit by a truck.”

  
Kevin gently put his hand on Connor’s shoulder, feeling him tense at the touch. He had a feeling Connor had earlier been downplaying just how much the General hurt him, but he didn’t push it anymore than he already had. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, rubbing small circles into his shoulder. “But it’s all over now. You’ll probably have to stay in bed for a couple of days, though…”

  
“I thought so,” Connor sighed. “I really don’t think I can walk right now, anyway…”

  
Kevin nodded understandingly. “Just take it easy these next few days. I’ll cover any work you have if I need to.” Connor gave him a small, thankful smile, earning a smile from Kevin as well.

  
“I hope this isn’t any trouble,” Connor said quietly. “I don’t remember anything after leaving the camp. I hope I wasn’t too much trouble when I got here.”

  
Kevin shook his head, bringing the chair closer to the bed as his hand now going down to rub Connor’s bare back lightly with his knuckles, hoping it was soothing the other at least a little. “Not at all. You were on the verge of passing out the whole time, so you didn’t put up much of a fight, thankfully.”

  
“Good...thank you for helping me, by the way,” Connor said quietly, his head leaning against Kevin’s shoulder now that he was closer to the bed. Kevin chuckled a bit, bringing his arm around Connor to gently pull him closer without hurting him.

  
“It isn’t a problem,” Kevin replied. They sat in silence for a moment, a certain question that Kevin had just begging to be asked. Connor seemed to notice this and looked over at Kevin, slight concern crossing his features.

  
“You’re tense,” he commented. “What’s wrong?”

  
Kevin let out a short laugh. “You’re the one asking me what’s wrong,” he tried to joke. “But, it’s nothing...I’m just confused.”

  
“About what?”

  
“About...us. I don’t get what we have,” Kevin said, looking down. “Like, is this...a thing? Are we a thing, or am I just getting my hopes up for nothing?”  
Connor blinked a couple of times. “Do you want us to be a thing?”

Kevin kept his eyes down. “I guess I do. I know we had that moment before by the river, but it-”

  
Kevin was cut off when he felt Connor plant a quick, light kiss on his cheek. He looked up, giving Connor a look of surprise and confusion. Connor laughed a bit, and it was probably the first time Kevin had seen him look genuinely happy since waking up.

  
“Did I surprise you?” He asked. “If you want us to be a thing, then I didn’t just tease you all those times for nothing.”

  
Kevin blinked a couple of times. “So…?”

  
Connor kissed Kevin’s jaw. “Just let things happen, Kevin. Not everything has to be according to some plan.”

  
Kevin nodded a little before hesitantly placing a kiss on Connor’s forehead, watching the other boy smile at the gesture. “Maybe I should, then.”

  
Connor nuzzled his head into Kevin’s shoulder a bit more. “I love you.”

  
Kevin smiled, resting his head atop Connor’s.

  
“I love you too.”


End file.
